Adjustable zigzag fin strip measuring and cutoff machine

ABSTRACT

Mounted on a baseplate is a rotary cam which rocks a lever pivoted on the baseplate and carrying a compressed air motor and cutter disc on its opposite end. Movable vertically on three guide posts rising from the baseplate is a platform supporting a power-dividing gear box, the input shaft of which carries a removable input change gear, whereas one of its two outposts operates a parallel index cam drive unit, the output shaft of which carries a toothed counting and indexing wheel adapted to engage the convolutions of a zigzag louvered metal fin strip moving along a shaft containing a slot through which the cutter disc can move upward to sever the fin strip. The second output shaft of the power-dividing gear box 60 rotates a vertical spline shaft continuously and the spline shaft in turn drives the cutter operating cam. A train of gears, the uppermost of which is mounted on a swinging arm, conveys power from a sprocket driven by a sprocket chain from the fin strip forming machine in timed relationship therewith to the replaceable gear on the input shaft of the power-dividing gear box.

' United States Patent [72] Inventor I-lrantJ.Avakian San Francisco, Calif. [21] Appl. No 878 [22] Filed Jan. 6, 1970 [45] Patented [73] Assignee Oct. 12, 1971 Liberty Radiator Core Mfg. Co. San Francisco, Calif.

[54] ADJUSTABLE ZIGZAG FIN STRIP MEASURING [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,000,144 8/1911 Beebe 83/240 X 2,765,847 10/1956 Conant 83/245 3,333,497 8/1967 Eyeberger 83/241 Primary Examiner-James M. Meister Att0rneyBarthel & Bugbee ABSTRACT: Mounted on a baseplate is a rotary cam which rocks a lever pivoted on the baseplate and carrying a compressed air motor and cutter disc on its opposite end. Movable vertically on three guide posts rising from the baseplate is a platform supporting a power-dividing gear box, the input shaft of which carries a removable input change gear, whereas one of its two outposts operates a parallel index cam drive unit, the output shaft of which carries a toothed counting and indexing wheel adapted to engage the convolutions of a zigzag louvered metal fin strip moving along a shaft containing a slot through which the cutter disc can move upward to sever the fin strip. The second output shaft of the power-dividing gear box 60 rotates a vertical spline shaft continuously and the spline shaft in turn drives the cutter operating cam. A train of gears, the uppermost of which is mounted on a swinging arm, conveys power from a sprocket driven by a sprocket chain from the fin strip forming machine in timed relationship therewith to the replaceable gear on the input shaft of the power-dividing gear box.

PATENTED um 1 21971 SHEET 1 0F 8 3 61 1.859

FIGI

INVENTOR HRANT J. AVAK IAN ATTORNEYS PATENTED [1m 1 21971 sum 2 OF 3 INVENTOR HRANT J. AVAKIAN A 0M6 WA ATTORNEYS PATENTEnncnmsn 361. 1. 858

SHEU 3 0F 3 [H62 FIGS I INVENTOR HRANT J. AVAKIAN BY MW ATTORNEYS number of convolutions in the tin strip and again halts while the foregoing cutting operation is repeated. To cut difierent lengths of fin strip, toothed counting wheels with different numbers of teeth corresponding to the convolutions in such lengths are provided, along with differently toothed input .gears, the gear train being swung arcuately to mesh with the different gear.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an adjustable zigzag fin strip measuring and cutoff machine,adapted to be driven from a louvered zigzag fin strip forming machine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the broken line 2-2 in FIG. 1, showing part of the adjustable gear train for determining different lengths of fin stripcutoff;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1, showing the power transmission mechanism to the vertically adjustable counting unit;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tin strip measuring and cutoff machine shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 5 is a right-hand end elevation of the machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, with the base structure broken away to conserve space.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 show an adjustable zigzag fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, generally designated 10, according to one form of the inven-' tion as adapted to precisely cutoff predetermined lengths of louvered zigzag fin strip 12 produced on a louvered zigzag fin stn'p forming machine (not shown) which is not a part of the present invention. Such a machine is shown in my prior US. Pat. No. 3,367,161 issued Feb. 6, I968 for Louvered Zigzag Fin Strip Forming Machine of which the present machine is an improvement on the cutoff mechanism. The present machine is driven from the louvered zigzag fin strip forming machine from a drive sprocket thereon (not shown) driving a sprocket chain 14 (FIG. I) which in turn drives a driving sprocket or driving wheel 16 in timed relationship with the drive sprocket on the zigzag fin strip forming machine (not shown). Such louvered zigzag fin strip sections 12 are used in various heat exchangers, such as in the cores of automobile radiators and heaters, and are enclosed in a casing formed of so-called heater coil ribbon which is produced on another machine separate and distinct from the present machine and from my above-identified'prior patented machine.

The sprocket I6 is keyed or otherwise drivingly connected to a stub shaft 18 (FIG. 2) which is rotatably mounted in an antifriction bearing unit 20 disposed within a bore 22 extending through an upright plate 24 rising from a base plate 26 which supports the machine 10 on top of a base cabinet 28 which in turn rests upon and is secured to a floor plate 30. Drivingly secured to the shaft 18 (FIG. 2) as by a set screw is the hub of a pinion 32 which meshes with a driving idler gear 34 loosely and rotatablymounted upon a stub shaft 36 which in turn is loosely androtatably mounted in a bore 38 in the upright plate 24. Pivotally mounted on the stub shaft 36 for swinging adjustment motion relatively thereto is an approximately triangular swinging extension plate 40, the upper portion of which is provided with an arcuate slot 42 having its centerline disposed upon an are centered on the axis of the stub shaft 36 so that the shank of a cap screw 44 inserted through the slot 42 maybe-threaded into a threaded hole 46 bored in the top portion'ofthe upright plate 24.

The driving idler gear 34-meshes with a driven idler gear48 which isloosely and rotatably mounted-uponastubshait'SO (FIG. 2) supported in a thickened head 52 on the upper comer of the extension plate 40. The extension plate 40 is swingable around the stub shaft 36 as a pivot in order to adapt the machine 10 to the automatic precise cutting of different lengths of zigzag fin strip 12, as will subsequently be explained below. The driven idler gear 48 is shown in FIG. I in dotted lines 48' in such an adjusted position.

The driven idler gear 48 meshes with a changeable input pinion 54 (FIGS. 1 and 4) which is bolted at 56or otherwise drivingly secured to the input shaft 58 of a power-dividing gear box 60. The shaft 58 within the gearbox 60 carries avertical helical gear (not shown) which meshes with an internally splined horizontal helical gear (also not shown) which continually drives a vertical spline shaft 62. The spline shaft 62 extends downward into a gearbox 64-(FIG.3)-supported on an angle bracket 66 bolted to the base plate 26. The lower end portion of the spline shaft 62 is rotatably supported in upper and lower antifriction bearings 68 and 70.respectively within the gearbox 64.

Keyed or otherwise drivingly secured to the lower end portion of the spline shaft 62 is a helical gear 72 which meshes with a corresponding helical gear (not shown) on a cross shaft 74 (FIG. 3) driving a bevel gear (not shown) within a cam drive gearbox 76 (FIG. 4) on the baseplate 26 and meshing with a second bevel gear therein driving a cam shaft 78 which in turn drives a face cam 80 (FIG. 5).

The face cam 80 has a cam groove 82 with an approximately V-shaped inwardly directed cutter-'operatingportion 84 of approximately 75 extent circumferentially, and a dwell'portion 86 concentric with the shaft 78 for the remainder-of the circumferential extent of the cam groove 82. The cutter operating groove portion 84 is composed of a cutter advancing portion 88 and a cutter retracting portion 90 which meet at an apex 92. Projecting into the cam groove 82 is a cam follower roller 94 (FIG. 4) mounted on a cam roller pin 96 in the form of a bolt or screw, held in position by a nut 98 threaded on the rearward end thereof which retains it on the rearward end of a cam follower lever 100 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot bolt I02 mounted in an upstanding bracket 104 secured to the base plate 26. The opposite or forward end of the cam follower lever 100 is bored for the reception of the housing of a compressed air motor or turbine 106, the shaft 108 of which carries a high-speed cutting disc or circular'saw 110. The air motor 106 is supplied with compressed air through a flexible hose 112. Theair motor 106, the shaftI08 of which rotates at a high speed of approximately 23,000 revolutions per minute, and the cutting disc 110 are conventional, available on the open market, and their details are beyond the scope of the present invention. The cutting disc 110 is moved upward by the lever 100 and cam 80 through a slot 114, one edge of which constitutes acutoffledgein a shelf or runway 116 (shown diagrammatically in FIG. I) over which the zigzag fin strip 12 is fed from the forming machine (not shown) to the cutting machine 10.

Mounted in flanged bushings I16 bolted to the base plate 26 (FIGS. 1 and 4) at triangularly disposed positions on the top plate 26 are three upstanding parallel guide posts I18 forming a vertical guideway. Vertically movably mounted on the posts 118 is a platform 120 through depending bushings I22 slidably engaging the posts 118. Bolted to the under side of the platform 120 is an annular bearing box 124 in which the flanged top end of a vertical screw shaft 126 is rotatably mounted against a ball thrust bearing 128. The screw shaft 126 is threaded downward through an internally threaded nut 130 mounted on a supporting block 132 bolted to the top plate 26. Pinned or otherwise drivingly secured to the lower end of the screw shaft 126 is the hub. of a. handwheel 134. As a consequence, when the handwheel .134 is rotated in one direction or the other, the screw shaft I26 moves upward or downward through the nut l30-andconsequently raises or lowers the platform l20on its three guideposts I18.

Returning to the powersdivicling gearbox 60, the latter has a second output shaft 136 which drives a conventional so-called parallel-index cam drive unit 138 available upon the open market and manufactured by the Commercial Cam and Machine Company of Chicago, Illinois. Its interior is provided with a cam mechanism (not shown) whereby one revolution of the continuously rotating input shaft 11% produces one-half a revolution of the intermittently rotating parallel output shaft 140 thereof (FIG. 4) which then halts momentarily during cutoff.

The parallel index drive unit 138 is bolted or otherwise secured directly to the platform 120, whereas the power-dividing gearbox 60 is mounted on a bracket 142 bolted to the platform 120. Pinned or otherwise secured to the free end of the output shaft 140 is the hub 144 of a collar [46 to which is bolted or otherwise removably secured at 148 a toothed measuring or convolution-counting wheel 1150 having teeth shaped to fit the convolutions of the zigzag fin strip 12 and provided with twice the number of teeth as the changeable gear 54. The measuring wheel 1150 makes half a revolution to every whole revolution of the change gear 54 and then halts while cutting is accomplished. The cutting disc or saw 110 is provided with diametrically opposed clearance grooves or notches 152 into which the cutting disc or saw 110 moves after cutting through the zigzag fin strip 12 while the measuring or convolutioncounting wheel 150 is momentarily halted during the dwell portion of the parallel index drive unit 138. The measuring or counting wheel 150 is provided with two sets of counting teeth I54 and 156 of half-circumferential extent separated from one another by the notches 152.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that a continuous louvered zigzag fin strip 12 is being produced by the forming machine (not shown) out of the drawing to the left of FIG. I and is being pushed steadily and continuously along the shelf or runway 116, and that the zigzag film strip measuring and cutoff machine is being continuously driven from the forming machine by the sprocket chain 14 and sprocket 16 (FIG. 1). Let it also be assumed that the cutting disc or circular saw 110 is in its downwardly retracted position shown by the dotted lines 110' in FIG. 5. The teeth 1154 on one-half of the circumference of the indexing or counting wheel 150 move the zigzag fin strip 12 forward to the right by an amount equal to the number of teeth on the half circumference set 1541, whereupon the cam mechanism within the parallel index drive unit 138 causes the output shaft 140 thereof to halt temporarily, terminating rotation of the measuring indexing or counting wheel 150. It will be understood, of course, that the teeth on the periphery of the indexing or counting wheel 150 correspond in pitch and approximate size and shape to the convolutions of the zigzag film strip 12 so that they accurately count off such convolutions as they push the fin strip 12 along the shelf or runway 116.

While the counting wheel 1150 is thus momentarily halted, the operating portion 84 of the cam 80 comes into action to instantly rock the cam follower lever 100 around its pivot bolt 102 (FIG. 5), swinging the cutting wheel or circular saw 110 upward through the slot 114 in the shelf 116 as the saw M0 is being rotated at high speed by the compressed air motor or turbine 106. As a consequence of the heat and frictional engagement of the cutting disc 110 with the thin copper sheet metal of which the zigzag fin strip 12 is composed, the latter is instantly severed as the cutting wheel M0 moves upward into the notch 152 of the indexing or counting wheel I50 and is then immediately retracted by the operating portion 84 of the cam groove 32 and held in its lowered position by the dwell portion 86 of the cam groove 82.

While the cutter 110 is being held in its downwardly retracted position 110', the parallel index drive unit 1138 comes into action to rotate the indexing and counting wheel I50 another halt revolution, causing the second set of circumferential teeth 156 to count off an equal number of convolutions of the zlgzag fln strip 12 as lt ls moved to the right along the plate or shelf lllti. The lntlexlng and counting wheel 150 then again halts and the cam 80 agaln causes the cutter I lit to move upward through the slot llM in the shelf lllti into severing engagement with the zigzag fin strip 12 and thence into the second clearance notch or groove 152 which has moved into alignment with the slot 1 14. The foregoing action then repeats itself indefinitely as section after section of the zigzag fin strip 12 is cut off.

If, now, the order calls for a different length of zigzag fin strip 12 than that previously supplied, the operator readjusts the machine accordingly. To do this he removes the bolt or bolts K48 (FIG. 4) which secure the counting indexing Wheel 1150 to the collar 146. He then removes the indexing and counting wheel and replaces it with another such wheel 150 which is larger or smaller with a greater or lesser number of teeth, as the case may be, depending upon whether a longer or shorter zigzag fin strip section is to be severed, but with twice the number of teeth as the convolutions of the strip I2 to be severed. He then removes the bolt 56 (FIG. 4) from the input shaft 58 of the power-dividing gear box 60 and replaces the change gear 54 with a different size of change gear having half the number of teeth as the indexing and counting wheel I50, namely the same number of teeth as the convolutions in the length of zigzag fin strip 12 to be severed. In order to make the driven idler 48 mesh properly with the new input gear 54, the bolt 44 (FIG. 2) is loosened in the arcuate slot 42 and the extension plate 40 is then swung arcuately around its pivot shaft 38 until such meshing occurs. The bolt 44 is then rctightened to lock the extension plate 40 in its new position after which the machine 10 is ready for operation in cutting the new length of strip. The phantom circles I50 and 150 in FIG. 1 represent different sizes of toothed indexing and counting wheels and the phantom circle 54 similarly represents a different size of input gear 54 used with the larger measuring, indexing or counting wheel I50".

lclaim:

I. An adjustable-length zigzag fin strip measuring and cutoff machine adapted to be drivingly connected to a zigzag fin strip forming machine in timed relationship therewith, sand measuring and cutoff machine comprising a base structure having a vertical guideway thereon and having a zigzag fin strip runway with a cutoff ledge thereon,

a platform structure vertically movably mounted on said guideway,

means for moving said platform structure vertically along said guideway,

an indexing device mounted on said platform structure and having a continuously rotatable input member and an intermittently rotatable indexing output member,

a changeable toothed zigzag fin strip convolution feeding and measuring wheel disposed above said cutoff ledge and operatively connected to said indexing output member,

a fin strip cutter,

a cutter support mounted on one of said structures and carrying said cutter and movable toward and away from said cutoff ledge and said toothed measuring wheel,

a cutter support moving device having rotary cutter-support-operating input and output members,

a power-dividing device having a rotary input shaft with a changeable input gear thereon and having a first rotary output member drivingly connected to said indexing input member and a second rotary output member drivingly connected to said cutter-support-operating input member,

and adjustably movable power-transmission mechanism separably drivingly connected to said changeable input gear and adapted to be operatively connnected to the fin strip forming machine for rotation thereby in timed relationship therewith.

2. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim I, wherein said feeding and measuring wheel has a recess therein adapted to provide clearance for said cutter at the end of the cutoff stroke thereof.

3. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said cutter is a rotary cutting wheel and wherein a rotary cutting wheel driving motor is mounted on said cutter support and drivingly connected to said cutting wheel.

4. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 3, wherein said cutter support comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said one structure and wherein said output member of said cutter support moving device includes a rotary cam operatively engageable with said lever.

5. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said input and output members of said indexing device are rotatable on parallel axes of rotation.

6. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said adjustably movable power transmission mechanism includes a rotary driving wheel, a gear train supporting structure having a part thereof pivotally mounted on said base structure, and a gear train mounted on said supporting structure and drivingly connected at one end to said rotary driving wheel and at its other end separably meshing with said changeable input gear.

7. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 6, wherein said pivotally mounted part has an arcuate slot therein, and wherein an adjustment clamping fastener extends through said slot into said base structure.

8. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said vertical moving means of said platform structure includes an internally threaded vertical nut mounted on said base structure and a rotatable vertical screw shaft threaded through said nut into bearing engagement with said platform.

9. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1 wherein said guideway includes a plurality of laterally spaced vertically disposed parallel posts, and wherein said platform has slide bearing elements slidably engaging said posts.

10. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said second rotary output member is drivingly connected to said cutter-supportoperating input member by way of a rotatable vertical shaft joumaled in said base structure and passing through said platform structure with a driving sliding connection to said second rotary output member. 

1. An adjustable-length zigzag fin strip measuring and cutoff machine adapted to be drivingly connected to a zigzag fin strip forming machine in timed relationship therewith, sand measuring and cutoff machine comprising a base structure having a vertical guideway thereon and having a zigzag fin strip runway with a cutoff ledge thereon, a platform structure vertically movably mounted on said guideway, means for moving said platform structure vertically along said guideway, an indexing device mounted on said platform structure and having a continuously rotatable input member and an intermittently rotatable indexing output member, a changeable toothed zigzag fin strip convolution feeding and measuring wheel disposed above said cutoff ledge and operatively connected to said indexing output member, a fin strip cutter, a cutter support mounted on one of said structures and carrying said cutter and movable toward and away from said cutoff ledge and said toothed measuring wheel, a cutter support moving device having rotary cutter-supportoperating input and output members, a power-dividing device having a rotary input shaft with a changeable input gear thereon and having a first rotary output member drivingly connected to said indexing input member and a second rotary output member drivingly connected to said cuttersupport-operating input member, and adjustably movable power-transmission mechanism separably drivingly connected to said changeable input gear and adapted to be operatively connnected to the fin strip forming machine for rotation thereby in timed relationship therewith.
 2. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said feeding and measuring wheel has a recess therein adapted to provide clearance for said cutter at the end of the cutoff stroke thereof.
 3. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said cutter is a rotary cutting wheel and wherein a rotary cutting wheel driving motor is mounted on said cutter support and drivingly connected to said cutting wheel.
 4. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 3, wherein said cutter support comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said one structure and wherein said output member of said cutter support moving device includes a rotary cam operatively engageable with said lever.
 5. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said input and output members of said indexing device are rotatable on parallel axes of rotation.
 6. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said adjustably movable power transmission mechanism includes a rotary driving wheel, a gear train supporting structure having a part thereof pivotally mounted on said base structure, and a gear train mounted on said supporting structure and drivingly connected at one end to said rotary driving wheel and at its other end separably meshing with said changeable input gear.
 7. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 6, wherein said pivotally mounted part has an arcuate slot therein, and wherein an adjustment clamping fastener extends through said slot into said base structure.
 8. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said vertical moving means of said platform structure includes an internally threaded vertical nut mounted on said base structure and a rotatable vertical screw shaft threaded through said nut into bearing engagement with said platform.
 9. An aDjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1 wherein said guideway includes a plurality of laterally spaced vertically disposed parallel posts, and wherein said platform has slide bearing elements slidably engaging said posts.
 10. An adjustable length fin strip measuring and cutoff machine, according to claim 1, wherein said second rotary output member is drivingly connected to said cutter-support-operating input member by way of a rotatable vertical shaft journaled in said base structure and passing through said platform structure with a driving sliding connection to said second rotary output member. 